GULF SHORES, Ala. – Despite taking a small contingent of qualifiers to the 2022 NAIA Men's Outdoor Track & Field National Championships, Missouri Baptist certainly packed a punch with race walking superstar Jordan Crawford and pole vault standout Mayson DeRousse. Between the two seniors, the Spartans hauled in an individual national title, two All-American awards, and two top-five finishes.
 
Totaling 15 points in the 5000-meter race walk and pole vault, the Missouri Baptist men's track & field program finished 25^th out of 77 teams participating in Gulf Shores. It represented the men's highest finish at Outdoor Nationals since 2014 when the Spartans logged a top-five finish.
 
Entering the championships as the top seed in the 5000m race walk, senior Jordan Crawford successfully defended his No. 1 ranking and captured his first national championship in the event with a time of 21:49.78. He clocked in 10 seconds faster than runner-up and 2021 national champion Dean Freitag (University of Rio Grande) and well ahead of the rest of the field.
 
Crawford continues the Spartans' rich race walk tradition joining Alejandro Chavez (2013) and Nick Christie (2014) as outdoor national champions in the 5000m race walk. Christie and Chavez also combined for three indoor national titles in 2012, 2013, and 2015.
 
On Day Three, senior Mayson DeRousse joined Crawford as an All-American taking fourth place overall in the men's pole vault. After a relatively slow start using two tries at 4.60m and all three at 4.75m, DeRousse needed just one attempt at 4.80, 4.85, and 4.90 to secure a top-five finish. The transfer from Maryville University wrapped up a decorated season that included AMC Athlete of the Meet, AMC Outstanding Field Athlete and AMC Newcomer of the Year, and NAIA All-America honors.